Town of Howard and Woodhull are expected to soon sign similar agreements
This week, the City of Hornell has finalized agreements to provide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with the Town of Hartsville, Town of Jasper and Town of Troupsburg.
The agreement with the Town of Hartsville identifies the City of Hornell as the primary responder and provides both Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) services, replacing their previous agreement with the Village of Canisteo. For the Towns of Jasper and Troupsburg, ALS services will continue to be provided, as they have been historically, with each municipality’s volunteer services being primary responders, and the City of Hornell providing coverage as needed. All of these agreements begin April 1, 2023 and are in effect for one year.
“For the Towns of Jasper and Troupsburg, our department will continue to provide ALS services in situations requiring a paramedic, or higher level of intervention than the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) can provide. For the Town of Hartsville, we are providing both primary and secondary support. Before entering into these agreements, we took a deep look into what effect this would have on the services we provide to our city residents. I am confident entering into these agreements will not detract from any of the services we provide to the City of Hornell and its residents.” stated Chief Frank Brzozowski.
In September 2022, the City of Hornell Common Council approved a resolution requiring municipalities outside of the City, wishing to receive EMS services from the City of Hornell, to have an agreement in place for those services. According to the resolution, those municipalities choosing not to sign an agreement for EMS with the City of Hornell, would no longer receive Emergency Medical Services as of April 1, 2023.
“Until recently, the Town of Hornellsville, which includes the Villages of both Arkport and North Hornell, was the only municipality we had a contract with. This was not equitable to our City residents. As call volumes increase across the area, it was vital to address this issue to ensure our taxpaying residents weren’t shouldering the costs of EMS services for other municipalities,” identified Mayor John Buckley. “Chief Brzozowski and I held several discussions with area representatives and town supervisors. We appreciate Town of Hartsville Supervisor Kriste Gerhard, Town of Jasper Supervisor Stephen Dennis, and Town of Troupsburg Supervisor Ronald Button for being fierce advocates for their residents and for being committed to ensuring their residents receive the emergency medical services they need and expect,” continued Buckley.
“In receiving communication regarding the requirement to have an agreement in place with the City, our Town Board and I explored options, and having the City of Hornell provide the ALS and BLS service made the most sense to us. I welcomed the opportunity to tour their facility and was impressed by the equipment, services, and professionalism. It was vital for me to ensure our residents have reliable EMS services, and I’m thrilled we were able to complete this agreement and look forward to working with the City of Hornell,” said Town of Hartsville Supervisor Kriste Gerhard.
At the last Common Council meeting, Mayor Buckley identified the Town of Howard’s intent to enter into an agreement for EMS services with the City, and read communication to that effect. The Town was unable to sign the agreement prior to the March 31st deadline, but indicated they plan to do so at their next meeting. The Common Council provided approval for the City to continue to provide supportive EMS services while the contract with the Town of Howard is being finalized. The City also anticipates receiving a letter of intent from the Town of Woodhull prior to March 31st.
All area municipalities have recognized the great need for these services and have praised the City of Hornell Fire Department for their prompt response and continued professionalism. The City of Hornell is pleased to have finalized agreements with the Town of Hartsville, Town of Jasper, and Town of Troupsburg for emergency medical services, and appreciates the communication from the Town of Woodhull and the Town of Howard signifying their intent to enter into an agreement.
